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Each New Day Brings A Day of Opportunity, Hope and a Fresh Start.

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Some days living with Autism can be challenging and draining but I can say each new day brings a day of opportunity, hope and a fresh start.

Ben is so special, and so very unique, he LOVES everyone! He hugs almost everyone he sees and meets and is smiling most of the time.  Ben struggles with everyday tasks but exceeds with others.  Show him something once and generally he has it…he can work most electronics better than me J

A little bit about Ben and his past…After many years of trying and going to doctor after doctor to have a child we decided to leave it in God’s hands and pray that he would answer our prayers, and he did! Not in the way we were thinking but, he answered them by adoption.  He was born early and weighing in at a small bundle of joy of 4lbs, he had some health issues in his early part of life but was and remains perfect in our sight.   He was diagnosed with GERD (acid reflex disease) and still to this day is being treated for it,he is now 3 ½ years old and was diagnosed at 3 months.  As Ben grew and was getting older we noticed that he was not developing like the other children we knew that was near his age.  And we continued to bring this up at each and every doctor apt.  We as parents are our children’s BIGGEST advocates; we are their words, and actions!

His speech is coming along beautiful now but it wasn’t always that great, I prayed for the day I would here “wuv u mommy”, happy to say I hear this daily, most times  its with coaching but regardless I hear it, we are constantly working and  coaching, with speech we are on to two words sentences now..YAY!

WE as a family have learned to do what works; we do what works for us.  If you walk into our house you will see many toy balls, all different colors and sizes, lots of things that play music or some sort of sound, cause these are things that he LOVES, and are used for rewards, our house is a home lots of finger prints on the walls/windows.

Even though some days or moments in our days can be challenging we are learning what works.  For example we know slowing Ben down using some technique’s picking our battles not to worry so much about e single detail is a help.  For example I use to be so stressed if Ben didn’t look in a camera lens when he was smaller but you know what that is not that big of deal, since I stopped stressing over this I have been able to capture some amazing pictures!

For the past year my husband has been battling cancer but still going strong, with this we have learned to slow life down and cherish each and every minute I have recently learned that as Ben grows, we grow with him learning to live with autism that life is really truly unique and can be wonderful.

I have learned to breathe and not sweat the small stuff so much.  And to make everything a celebration.   You should see the party we have when he goes potty!

I know living with autism can be challenging one of our biggest challenges right now is how Ben can be so impulsive, but living with autism can be so rewarding too.

Its important to stay strong and stay focused, they are worth it.  And after all they are our babies.

 

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GFCF Diet: Foods to Eat and Avoid

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Following a gluten-free, casein-free diet is one of the most popular methods among parents to children with autism. Though research remains inconclusive, a number of parents have show great support in vouching the effectiveness of the said diets. Not only does this diet treat children-with-autism’s gastrointestinal and allergy issues, it has also been known to result in lower meltdowns, hyperactivity, allergies and skin rashes, and seizures.

The GFCF Diet requires two basic protein eliminations – dairy and wheat—from a child with autism’s diet. This can be somewhat complicated as proteins are essential nutrients needed for children’s development. To some children with autism, however, these two groups of protein can make matters worse. To get you started on your GFCF Diet, here are some food lists to aid in your menu preparation.

What to Buy

  • Milk substitutes like rice milk, soy milk, hemp milk, and almond milk. Be attentive to the label though. It should not only state “dairy-free” but “casein-free.” Some dairy-free milk substitutes contain the casein protein as a thickener.
  • Soy-based dairy-free cheese products; make sure it’s casein-free
  • gluten-free bread usually made from tapioca or rice flour
  • minimally processed or, if possible, fresh meat out of the butcher’s den; if prepackaged, make sure to check label for the list of ingredients.
  • fresh poultry
  • fresh seafoods
  • fresh fruit and vegetables; if frozen, make sure it is not soaked in sauces or flavorings.
  • eggs do not contain gluten or casein but be mindful of the oil used in cooking

You can try shopping at a nearby farmers market or Whole Foods store near you for GFCF food brands. Vancouver has Cambie, Robson, and Kitsilano. Ontario has Oakville, Unionville, and Squage 1 Missisauga. There is also one in West Vancouver and another in Toronto – Yorkville.

What Not to Buy

  • foods containing gluten, such as, wheat, barley, rye, millet and oats
  • foods containing casein, such as, cheese, yogurt, cow/goat/lamb milk, breast milk, ice cream, and other dairy-based foods such as pasta, baked products, and sports drinks
  • prepackaged foods may sometimes be labeled as gluten-free or dairy-free or both, but do check the label closely as casein can be used as an ingredient

Indeed, autism spectrum disorders are complex neurological and developmental condition which still has no cure and no known causes. Though ABA therapies and other forms of treatments have been available, parents cannot help but find ways and means to make life a little easier for their kids on the spectrum. The GFCF Diet continually make waves nowadays but, before you engage your child on this diet, it is imperative that you seek out the advice of an accredited physician or nutrition/diet expert with hands-on experience on autism treatment to guarantee safety and health of your child.

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10 Methods of Autism Intervention

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13 Types of Autism InterventionThere is no doubt that early intervention can best deliver progress and results to children living in the shadows of Autism Spectrum Disorders and other developmental disorders. Autism Spectrum Disorders, or ASD, have a variety of treatments and therapies duly called “intervention” by experts.

It is important to understand that one intervention method can work for a child with autism but may not work with another. This is because each spectrum in ASDs is unique from each other. Any of these can overlap one another but, all the same, the effect can vary from child to child.

To understand about how Autism Spectrum Disorders are usually treated, here are some broad categories usually used for interventions. These are random ones picked from various resources. Treatment for ASD can be comprehensive and intensive, and research is still ongoing on various treatments, likely causes, and other factors which could aid in completing the puzzle. So, if you know another method, feel free to comment at the bottom of the page.

1. Standard Healthcare Services

Designed primarily to maintain good health and well-being of children with autism, these include wide-ranging “conventional” (widely-accepted) treatments, therapies and/or interventions carried out by health care professionals such as doctors, occupational and physical therapists, psychologists, speech-language therapists, and many more. A variety of approaches and methods are usually combined on these services. For example, an ABA expert working with a speech pathologist and occupational therapists to provide complete intervention to a child or adult with autism.

2. Complementary/Alternative Medicine

Let’s point out the difference. Complementary medicine usually works together with standard healthcare services while alternative medicine works in place of conventional techniques. Paediatricians with background on autism can work alongside speech therapists or a chiropractor when engaging in complementary medicine intervention. Alternative medicine, on the other hand, is the type of intervention that replaces standard healthcare services. Naturopaths, for instance, can work singlehandedly in “correcting” chemical imbalance on an individual-with-autism’s body.

3. Developmental and Behavioral Interventions

These intervention techniques revolve on teaching and coaching. Behavioral therapies are customarily designed to promote appropriate or independent behavior and inhibit unsuitable behavior. Desired behavior is usually broken down into specific tasks taught in a structured manner.
On the other hand, developmental interventions are aimed at a child’s core deficits. Therapists and parents as well as special education teachers work together in engaging a child’s own interest to enhance communication, affection, social interaction, logical reasoning, and so on.

4. Psychotherapy

Psychotherapeutic intervention is a range of treatments with one or more processes that completely allow an individual with autism to fully comprehend his abilities and challenges. Counseling is one form of psychotherapy which can take many forms. It can be just plain “talking” with a therapist his innermost thoughts while others engage in counseling through creative art form like music or dance. Some counseling are done to improve speech/communication, and social interaction.

5. Medications

Widely known as medicines or pharmaceutical drugs, this type of intervention is usually prescribed to cure or treat a medical diagnosis. They are sometimes classified according to their chemical properties, therapeutic effects, mode of administration, and so on. Some medicines are also used nutritional supplements.

6. Biomedical’ Interventions

Biomedical means the application of biological/physiological sciences to clinical medicine. Though this could mean a lot of things to different people, most individuals living with autism know that this refers to a set of interventions designed to stop or reduce biomedical issues that usually trigger or worsen symptoms and issues faced by those living in the spectrum. Though often considered as part of complementary or alternative medicine, this group of intervention is usually more specific. Some examples of biomedical intervention includes the GFCF diet (strict enforcement), use of nutritional supplements and hormones, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, chelation, and so on.

7. Motor/Sensory Interventions

Treatments and therapies falling on this category usually aim to improve movement of body parts (motor skills) and heighten sensitivity to one or more senses(sensory perception) to an individual with autism.

8. Alternative and Augmentative Communication

Communication is one of the most highly affected skills in individuals with autism. Alternative communication is usually a set of therapies used to enhance speech and/or language without using the conventional technique. Augmentative Communication, on the other hand, is designed to enhance and complement standard technique in communication therapies.

9. Assistive and Adaptive Technology

In today’s age of technology, the use of assistive and adaptive technology is nothing new. This type of intervention usually makes use of low-tech, mid-tech or high-tech devices, products, and equipment aimed at maintaining, augmenting or improving functional capabilities of those living with ASD. Low-tech gadgets examples are clipboards, photo albums, dry erase boards, etc. Mid-tech examples are Language Master, calculators, voice output devices, and so on. Typically costly, high-tech gadgets such as computers, videocams, and complex voice output devices are more commonly used today.

10. Service-Based Interventions

This intervention category is broken down into three subcategories namely, educational services, employment services, and social care services. Educational services for individuals on autism are focused on the education and mental development of individuals with autism. Employment services are designed to make people find and keep job suited to their abilities. Social care services, on the other hand, are designed to assess the needs and provide support therewith to individuals in a community. This usually includes, residential care, social groups, and so on.

There are also other interventions that do not fall on any of the categories mentioned. Examples are animal therapies, relationship-based intervention, and the use of politics and PR. Indeed, autism is a complex condition that requires various intervention methods. In all these, however, the earlier the intervention usually means the better the progress.

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